Restart
by Candycane77
Summary: The liars' are all grown up, and they believe A is gone. But we know Rosewood better than that. What happens to the four teenage daughters of Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna? What are their mothers hiding from them?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is a fanfiction about the liars' lives after A is to their belief, 'gone.' But we know that's not how things work. Please be kind, this is my first shot at writing a fanfic.**

**Spencer now works as a journalist, with a daughter she had young. The father is, you guessed it!- Toby. He ran off and Spencer raised her daughter single with the help of her friends. **

**Hanna works at a fashion magazine, and married Caleb, and they now have two children. **

**Aria has twins –a boy and a girl. She's married to Ezra, and works as an author/artist. **

**Emily's married to Paige, and they had a surrogate baby. Or three. **

**And who would've guessed that they would all have teenage daughters, and they'd all stay in Rosewood. You would think they know better by now. **

Chapter 1: Raina's P.O.V.

I flop down on my queen-size bed. My mom pokes her head in my door. "Raina, it's time for dinner," she says, her chocolate eyes warm. My mother and I have always had a special relationship. We've always been best pals, me and Mama against the world. She raised me by herself. The only thing I ever had close to a father was three loving aunts. I like it that way. "Okay," I say, standing up. Darn, I'd just lain down, too. Dinner is mostly silent, but not the awkward kind. The comfortable kind, built from years of love. "Raina, you're Aunt Emily wants to know when you're coming over, she misses you," says Mama. "Yeah, I miss Aunt Emily, too, and Sylvia. Can I go over there this weekend?" I say excitedly. Sylvia is Aunt Emily's daughter, and one of my best friends, along with Marissa and Christina. "Well, then you'd better go call her, then, before she finds another niece to hang out with," says Mama. I jump up from the table, discard my plate,and dash up the stairs to where my iPhone is waiting. I text my Aunt Emily : Hii can I spend the night this weekend?

A few seconds later, my phone starts playing my ringtone, which is some P!nk song. I check my phone, thinking it's Aunt Emily. It's a blocked ID. Hmm... I open it.

Hey, Raina. Bet it sucks that your daddy is a mommy. And that you have three of them, all with more important kids to worry about. If only you had your own daddy. Here's a clue: Your Mama wasn't always the happy, easy-going lady she is now. Do some digging in the past, you'll see what I mean.

XOXO, A

I look down at the phone in confusion. Who is A? And how does A know anything about my Mama? How did someone even know about my life like that, there are only a handful of people, and I trust them with my lives. A chill runs down my spine, and my eyes fly to the window. I immediately draw the curtains closed, feeling creeped out. My phone rings again, and I literally jump, only to find that it's Aunt Emily textinng me back.

Sure! Come over whenever on Friday.

I text back: Okay :)

Then my mind wanders back to that mysterious text. What did A mean, my Mama wasn't always this way? I knew she used to be pretty anal, I mean, I've heard some crazy stories about SAT words at 3a.m. But she just kind of gave up that, when she realized she couldn't control everything. Apparently that was around the time she got pregnant with me and my father left. Happy to be of service.

But, the way A said it, made it seem like there's some important things I doon't know, and it seems like they concern my father. I slowly walk downstairs, contemplating whether or not this is a good idea. Probably not. Whenever anyone mentions my father, Mama gets quiet and kind of sad looking. So everyone just stopped talking about him. Not that there was much to say. He left, that's that.

Mama's still sitting at the dinner table when I get downstairs. "Mama?" I begin cautiously. "Hm?" she replies absentmindedly. "Why... What was your life like before me?" I switch tracks and begin to beat around the bush. She chews her lip. "I don't know. Dramatic. You remember I told you I have a sister, Melissa? A lot of things happened between us. Unforgivable things, so my life wasn't all that great before you came along," she says, then smiles at me.

"No, Mama. That's not what I mean, actually tell me, in detail, what it was like," I say. She nods.

"Okay. Well, things actually kind of sucked. Aunt Aria, Aunt Emily, Aunt Hanna and I weren't always friends. Then one day, this girl came along. She was the most popular girl in Rosewood at the time. She handpicked the four of us to be her best friends, and we were all kind of stunned. We were all different before we were friends with her. We all loved her. She was manipulative, though. She knew everything about us, things no one else knew, and she blackmailed us a lot. But she could make you feel like the most special person in the world on her good days," my mom begins, falling into a story-telling trance, her eyes focused on the table.

"Her name was Alison DiLaurentis. One day, Ali, Aria, Emily, Hanna, and I were having a sleepover in my parents' barn. We went to sleep. We woke up in the middle of the night and she was gone. She never came back, and a few years later they found her body. A lot of stuff happened. The cops said they have it all figured out, but I know they don't. Whether or not they know who killed her, they don't. There are just too many puzzle pieces for them to have it finished. Ones you would never suspect. I think we've all kind of moved on, though. Because there's no way to figure it all out," says Mama, her eyes finally meeting mine. There's a spark in her eyes, of something I've never seen there before. I don't know what to call it.


	2. Chapter 2

Restart Chapter2 Sylvia Fields's P.O.V.

I sit on my twin bed, scrolling through iFunny. I see one picture of a grumpy cat and begin to chuckle. Just then, one of my best friends bursts through the door, armed with a duffel bag and a finger gun. "Put your hands in the air!" she says in a fake deep voice. I start to laugh uncontrollably, and Raina joins in. "What's up, Sylv?" she says casually, as if she didn't just burst into my room like maniac.

"Oh, not much, but some random cop just barged into my room and nearly killed me. Business as usual," I say, and she grins.

"So are Marissa and Christina coming over, too?" she asks as she plops down beside me.

"Well, I don't know, maybe. I didn't even know _you _were coming over," I say. Raina smiles and picks up her phone. "I'll text them to come over," she says.

In a few minutes, Marissa slams open the door. Marissa is my Aunt Aria's daughter. She's pretty much a she-thug. She's wearing her Steelers snapback, skinny jeans, and a Trukfit t-shirt. She's also got a duffel bag with her, and her champagne-colored hair is curled. Her greenish eyes focus on me. "What's up, Sylvia? Heard you're hosting a PJ party. Why didn't you invite me to this?" she says, and throws her bag on my La-z-boy in the corner.

"I didn't know I was having one until Raina showed up," I say defensively. She grins. "Relax, I'm just playing with you,"says Marissa as Christina walks in. She's my Aunt Hanna's daughter. She's wearing a pair of Juicy sweats, and a matching hoodie, with a pair of gray Uggs, matching the rest of us except for Marissa as far as material goes. Marissa sees this and groans. "Come on, you guys. You can't look like a boss wearing sweatpants," she says. Chrissy's ice-blue eyes sparkle. "Of course we can, we're just lazy bosses," she says, and Marissa sends her an _Are you stupid_ look. "No no no no. I refuse to be a lazy boss. So the three of you better get dressed like champs so we can go out," says Marissa. "Fine," says Raina, and we all throw on skinny jeans and Marissa-approved t-shirts. We pull on high top tenneshoes. Then Marissa does our hair. She curls my ebony hair, and straightens Raina's curly brown hair. She leaves Chrissy's long, wavy blonde hair as it is.

We all hop into Marissa's green, old-school Kia Soul HamStar. It came out when our parents were our age. Marissa blares rap, stuff we don't listen to unless we're with Marissa. She stops at a gas station and grabs a Pepsi and a few packs of gum, throwing a piece of gum to each of us. She's serious about her gum. We continue driving around neat little Rosewood, until we're in Philly. Of course. She's taking us to a rap battle. I should have guessed. Marissa never tells us where she's taking us, but it's always somewhere fun, like a concert, or a rap battle, or a party. She pulls up to an old building. Before we get out of the car, Marissa warns us:"You guys, this is serious. Don't say anything that might get you shot, and walk like a thug. The bolder the move, the less someone questions it."

We get out, throw our shoulders back, and try our best to imitate Marissa's gangster walk. We do okay. When we walk into the building, it's still early, so only a few people are here. Marissa recognizes one of them, and walks up to a big, muscular man, who as tattoos all over his body and a shaved head. "What's up, Spike?" she says to the man. "Oh, not much, what's up with you?" he says, smiling. She gives him that one-armed thug that cool people give each other. Raina, Chrissy, and I just stand there awkwardly, feeling out of place. "So who are these ladies?" Spike stage-whispers to Marissa. "Oh, I just brought my girls here to see me dominate that stage," she says, and our eyes widen. Marissa's going to rap battle? Wow. "This is Sylvia, Chrissy, and Raina," she says, indicating each of us in turn. We awkwardly wave."Alright, just don't choke up there. Wouldn't want to embarass yourself in front of your girls," he says teasingly to Marissa. I'm confused, I'm not even sure what he means by'choke'. Is someone going to strangle her up there or something?

Within an hour, people stream in and the space is packed. Marissa walks onto the stage, and Spike, who is apparantly the host, booms "Alright, alright, settle yourselves down. We got R.T.K in the house tonight." The crowd goes wild at the mention of R.T.K. I don't even know who that is, and I look at Raina in confusion. "R.T.K is Marissa. I've been here before, but she won't say what R.T.K. stands for," she clarifies. "Now, who thinks they can take her?" booms spike, and the crowd goes wild yet again. A young man wearing Adidas everything steps up to the stage. "I do," he says. Marissa tilts her head and gives him that look thugs give to intimidate each other. "R.T.K, your choice, who goes first?" says Spike. Marissa grabs the microphone. "Let this cat go first," she says in that voice that I know marissa uses when she disapproves of something. She doesn't like this competition. The boy grabs the microphone, and the beat starts. The crowd _ooooooh_s whenever he says burns Marissa. I begin to get worried. "Don't worry, this is a tactic she uses. She builds off of his rap and slaps him in the face with it," whispers Raina.

When the boy's time is up, things look pretty bad for Marissa. But the beat starts, and the crowd goes crazy, and she completely owns him. "I'm a natural Rosewood B. Thinking you next, well you're next after after me," she finishes, and the boy sheepishly walks off the stage. Two other competitors come up after that, and one of them is actually pretty good, but Marissa beats them. Then we go in the car, and Marissa pulls out a suspicious-looking bottle. "Look what Spike gave me, you guys," she says with a grin. We drive back to my house, happier than normal, and tipsy. "Alright, you guys, act serious. Don't let Aunt Emily know we downed and entire bottle of Grey Goose," says Chrissy, and we all get out, straighten ourselves somewhat, and try to act serious.

When we get inside, my mother is asleep. Unfortunately, my momma isn't. As we quietly tiptoe upstairs, Momma calls out, "Hold it right there, girls." We all groan a little. "Act normal," whispers all turn around with smiles on our faces. "Hi, Momma," I say. "Hi, Aunt Paige," the others echo. Momma's not fazed.

"Where were you? I don't remember any of you telling me you were leaving. Your mother and I were worried," she says. We all look awkwardly at Marissa, who's best under pressure. "Aunt Paige, we were walking around the park," says Marissa. Good thing Marissa's great at lying. Momma's eyes dart between the four of us, not believing, but not really thinking it's worth it. We're not allowed to go to rap battles, let alone drink. "Go to bed," says Momma tiredly. We go to my room without another sound.

When we get upstairs, we burst into giggles. "That was _so _close," says change into tank tops and sweat pants, then decide to watch TV for a while. I can't believe how long Spongebob has lasted. It's been around since before we were born.

Then, all of our phones randomly ring, and no one is surprised to find that Marissa's ringtone is Gold Digger by Kanye West. "That's weird," says Raina. "Yeah, who would text us this late?" I say. We check our phones, to find that it's a blocked ID.

Close call, ladies. Lucky thing Auntie Paige wasn't feeling too persistent tonight. It would be a shame if someone clued your mommies in to where you've been lately. I hope you're obedient. –A

Raina looks terrified. The rest of us are just seem confused. "What's wrong, Raina?" I ask. "Earlier today, I got a text from A. It said something about my father. Stuff nobody knows but our family," she says. Our eyes widen. "Why didn't you tell us?" says Marissa. "I didn't take it too seriously," she says. Oour phones ring again, and this time it's pictures. Of the four of us, at the rap battle. Of Marissa on stage. And finally, of the four of us exiting the rap battle, with Marissa holding the bottle of liquor.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N I don't own the song Young Dreamer by Honey Cocaine or Pretty Little Liars.**

Restart Chapter3 Marissa Fitz's P.O.V.

"Oh snap," I say, looking down in horror at my Samsung Galaxy. "Is this some kind of stalker?" says Chrissy. "Probably," I say. My eyes search the photos of us at the battle, looking for any clue as to who it was, but my mind is kind of foggy. Just then, Sylvia's little sister pokes her head in. "Sylvia, where were you? Mom and Momma were freaked," says Leah, who is twelve. She's the middle sister. Sylvia's youngest sister's name is Alexis, she's seven. Alexis is probably asleep by now, but not Leah. "Out," says Sylvia sharply. She hates it when Leah gets all nosy like that. But Leah's a good kid. She was raised by Aunt Emily, of course she is. Aunt Emily's the sweetest person in the world. My mom, Aria, is nice, too. But she's more of a pal to me than a mom. My dad is distant, like, mentally. He doesn't spend much time with us, but it's not on purpose. Aunt Emily's always around, though. Leah rolls her eyes and walks away. "You guys, I'm all up for figuring out who this 'A' rapscallion is, but can we please do it in the morning, I feel the urge to pass out," I say, and Chrissy snickers at my use of the word 'rapscallion.' True to my word, I fall asleep, right there.

When I wake up, only Raina is awake. I get up, stretch, then I rub the sleep out of my eyes and have Raina scoot over so I can sit with her on the La-z-boy. "So, what are we going to do about A?" I say. Raina chews her lip. "I don't know. But I don't think we should tell anyone," says Raina. I smile. "You're finally learning my motto. _Snitches get stitches_," I say, causing her to shiver. "Yeah, it's scary. I mean, this person knows stuff about us. They knew where we were going to be last night, they know our phone numbers, which we don't pass around to just anybody, they know stuff about my mom..." she trails off and I nod.

Then Chrissy wakes up, and tells us she's hungry. Of course, that girl is a bottomless pit, and the worst part is _she never gains a pound_. But we wake Sylvia up and head downstairs, where Aunt Emily is cooking pancakes. Sylvia's sisters aren't awake yet. We sit around the table as Aunt Emily places a stack of pancakes in the center of the table, and we all reach for some. By the time we're finished, there are none left for Leah and Alexis. So when they walk down the stairs, we hurry up and rinse off our plates, and run upstairs before they realise we ate all the breakfast. We make it to Sylvia's room just as we hear a "_Christina!_" We collapse in giggles because we all know Christina ate the most. My world feels perfect just when my phone begins ringing. Just my phone. I pick it up and read the one new text message.

Question: If a certain snapback-wearing girl's life was perfect, would her mother lie to her? Would there be a certain sibling no one told you four about? Would her father... Don't even get me started on her father. Reconsider your situation, Riss. Love, A.

A has perfect timing, I must say. But what did they mean about my mother? And I know I have a sibling, my brother Matthew. And what about my father? That was awfully creepy.

_I bet you I'd die if I lie today._

_Because I live the truth to respect my way._

Those words, a line from the song Young Dreamer, they resound in my head, and I despise liars, and I don't mean the kind that lie like we did last night. I mean the kind that do horrible things, and then have the audacity to lie about them. I don't care if you're a thief, an assassin, or a drug dealer, as long as you're honest, I'll be your friend. One of my mottos. I try to live the truth as much as I can. Last night being a fluke. But what is my mom hiding from me?

"You guys, I have to go," I say, my stomach churning. Chrissy meets my eyes, concerned. I swear, she reminds me so much of my Aunt Emily it's just unnatural. "Are you okay?" she says. I nod. "Yeah, it's just, I have to talk to my mom about something important," I say. Techinically true. Except for the being okay part.

I get dressed in a pair of jeans and an Aeropostale hoodie, and I throw my champagne-colored hair in a messy bun. I grab my duffelbag and hop in my HamStar. I turn up the music, and it calms my nerves, somewhat. When I get home, I storm into the house, deciding to play it straight up. I stomp up the stairs and throw my duffelbag in my room, not bothering to unpack yet. I tromp back downstairs and look around the living room. "Mom!" I scream, not bothering to look around. She appears from the kitchen door, holding a dish-rag and a pan. "Hi, how was the sleepover?" she says, happily. Bullcrap, she knows she's been lying to me about something, and homie don't play that. "Mom, have you been hiding something from me?" I say, startling her. She drops the pan, making a loud _BANG!, _but she doesn't say anything. "Mom, what have you been lying about?" I say. And I know that's kind of disrespectful to get smart with her like that, but I'm seriously, seriously worried about this. "Marissa, we didn't want you to find out this way," she says. "Oh, and Mom? What's this I hear about some sibling or something that I never knew about?" I say, and her eyes widen further. "Marissa, come sit with me," she says, and leads me to sit with her at the kitchen table, which I do. "Marissa, you're father and I have a complicated history, even the parts that don't involve the other," she begins, her long, dark hair falling out of it's low ponytail. "You're father... He was with a girl when he was around eighteen, and he got her pregnant. He has another son, but we didn't want to tell you and Matt because Ezra and his other son aren't on good term," she says, and I am horrified. How could she have never mentioned this? "What does 'not on good terms' mean?" I ask. Mom looks down. "They never talk. Malcolm practically hates him for not being in his life," she says. "Why wasn't he?" I ask. "He didn't know he'd had a son. He knew she was pregnant, but he thought she'd had an abortion. She moved away to Delaware, raised him, then we found out," she says, and I decide I don't want to hear anymore of this crap. "Answer this: At what point did you think this topic should be discussed?" I say. Mom just shakes her head, implying that neither Matt nor I were ever intended to find out. Good going, Mom. Good going. I don't even want to begin to think about all the other lies that were implied in the text. I run upstairs to my room and slam the door. I know Matt's home because I can hear his video game from the TV in his room. I decide to talk to him about this.

I walk right into his room, and his eyes flicker up. "Hi, Riss. You're home already?" he says. "Yeah, and I need to talk to you about something really important. Mom and Dad have been keeping something huge from us," I say, and at these words, he pauses the game and swivels chair to face me. "What do you mean?" he says. "Matt, you aren't going to believe this, but Dad got this girl pregnant when he was eighteen, and he has another _son_!," I say, and Matt's eyes widen. "You aren't serious," he says. "You know I don't lie," I say, and a look of rage crosses his face. He runs downstairs to where Mom is probably still sitting, and I hear the muffled sounds of their conversation. Ten minutes later, Matt comes back up the stairs, a resigned look on his face. "So what do we do about this?" he says. "I don't know," I reply. "What _can _we do?" he tries. I shrug my shoulders and say "Nothing, really."

**A/N Please review! Reviews are magic to me! Enjoy the Fitz household drama!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I don't own Pretty Little Liars.**

**Chapter Four: Christina Rivers's P.O.V**

We all decide to go home after Marissa's dramatic exit. It's freaked the rest of us out. Marissa's usually so cool about things. She always says to chill, but she ran out like a bat out of hell. When I get home, my older brother is the only one home. He's playing on his Xbox, though. I decide to text Raina, to see if she knows what's been up with this A thing.

_So I was wondering what you're thinking about this A thing_, I text.

_Idk but I'm really freaked out. I'm trying to decide whether this is serious or just someone messing with us_, she replies, and I agree. It's logical that this could just be someone messing with us, trying to freak us out. Just then, Marissa texts me.

_I need to talk to you three so much, you will never guess what I just found out. Come over, ASAP, _and I notice that she also sent it to Raina and Sylvia.

I jump into my little silver Prius, and speed for Marissa's house. When I get there, Raina and Sylvia are already there. Why can't I ever be on time? It's like Father Time hates me or something...

"You guys, I just talked to my mom. I found out I hve another brother," she says, and we all sit there open-mouthed. "_And_, my father doesn't even talk to him, and everyone's just been acting like he doesn't exist since before we were born, _and_, his mom is some random girl from my father's high-school class," she talks, barely pausing to breathe. "_What?_" we say in unison. She just nods.

"Wait, so does Matt know?" asks Sylvia. Marissa nods. "So what are you going to do?" I ask. "I don't know, there really isn't anything I can do. I mean, I could try to track this guy down, but I don't know," she says. "Look, Marissa, I don't know if that would be safe, I mean, for all we know, this guy could be a criminal or something," I say, knowing full well that I sound like Aunt Emily and not really caring right now. "Yeah, Marissa, maybe you should just think this through before you decide anything," says Raina. "I know, I'm just shell-shocked," se says quietly. I go over to her and hug her. She smiles and hugs me back. "Thanks, you guys," she says. "I just can't believe Aunt Aria hid this from you," I say. "It was a bad idea, and I have a history of making bad decisions," says Aunt Aria from the doorway, and we all jump in surprise. "I'm sorry Riss," says Aunt Aria, before walking away. We sit there silent for a few minutes, before our phones all go off, and I notice that Marissa has changed hers to Confessions Part ll by Usher. How appropriate. We all can guess who this is from, so it doesn't really surprise anyone to se what it says.

Maybe your mommies don't have such a clean history as you four would like to think. Wonder how they'd feel to learn you've inherited their lying genes. Or how you'd feel to learn just how strong those genes are. Care to dig up some of the past, ladies? You're going to. –A

We all knew there was an _or else_ left unsaid at the end of that. "So, is A with us or against us? It seems like A _wants _us to find out about our parents' history," I say. "Yeah, and if we don't, A's going to spill everything we've been doing," says Sylvia. The parties, the rap battles, the joyrides to New York every now and then. My parents would _freak_. "Definitely not someone just messing with us," says Raina, and I nod numbly in agreement. My brother texts me, telling me our mom wants me home soon. "You guys, I have to go," I say. "Goodbye," says Marissa quietly. I offer a smile as I walk out.

When I get home, my mom tells me she wants me to rake the leaves in the front yard. Since Isaiah has his own chores to do, the yard got passed on to me. I get the rake and grab my sunglasses. I head to the front yard of our large, five-bedroom house. I throw my hair in a bun and begin to rake up the leaves, gathering them all in a monstrous pile. And yet, we don't even have any trees in our front yard, so how did this happen? For all this, I could tell the neighbors it came from their trees and have them rake it up. But something tells me Mom wouldn't be pleased with that. When I'm finished, I sit on the porch and Instagram a picture of the leaf pile. Then, I notice Cassandra Cavanaguh, Jenna Cavanaugh's daughter. She's sitting on her own porch on her house, which is across from mine. I'm pretty sure Jenna is a single mother, just like Aunt Spencer. And Cassandra's just sitting there, kind of despondently. I decide to go see what's up with her. I walk across the street, and across her front yard. I've hung out with her a few times before, but we're not close. I sit next to her on the porch-swing. She offers a smile. "Hi, Christina," she says softly. "Hi, Cass, why do you look all sad?" I ask. She shrugs. "You can talk to me," I say, and her emerald eyes meet mine. "My grandmother died today," she says quietly. "Oh, I'm sorry," I say, hugging her. A few silent tears drop down, highlighting her eyes. "Thanks," she whispers. "Your welcome," I say. "I have to go inside," she says, getting up abruptly. I nod and cross back over to my yard, staring sadly at the leaf pile before going back inside.

**A/N I know the chapters are short and I'm sorry, but I kind of just like to write scenes with the characters, not whole days per chapter. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N I don't own Pretty Little Liars, but****_ look I can make the word slanty!_**

Chapter Five: Raina Hastings's P.O.V.

After finding out about Marissa's secret brother, we all went home. Well, I did, at least. And now, here I am, trying to figure out what my mama's hiding from me. I get up and go downstairs, and I plop down on the couch just as Mama walks in. "Hey, babydoll," she says. I smile at her. "Hi Mama. How was work?" I ask. "Well, it was just business as usual. I enjoy my job, I guess," she says. I nod. As she's walking upstairs, she stops and turns around. "Oh! I almost forgot, I have a doctor's appointment today! It's just a check-up, though, they're just running some blood-tests and stuff," she says. I nod.

A few hours later, my mom gets dressed and leaves for the doctor's, leaving me all alone in our house. I decide to call my cousin, Madeline. She decides to spend the night, and trying to argue with Maddy will get you nowhere. She shows up with her Care Bear backpack that she's had since she was in fourth grade, and now she's a junior, only two years older than me. We pop popcorn and watch all the Saw movies. At some point, my mom comes home and says hello before walking into her room. During the last Saw movie, I notice Maddy is still eating popcorn, and I don't even understand how she can eat while watching this. But she's hunched over, intently watching.

It's two in the morning when we finally get to sleep.

When we wake up, my mom is shaking us awake to get ready for church, just because she knows I like to go. Maddy and I decide that going to bed at two was a bad idea, but we reluctantly get showered and dressed and drive to church. We sit throught the hour-and-a-half sermon, then I drop Maddy off at her house, after saying hello to Uncle Jason.

I drive back home, and spend the next week just doing homework and analyzing everything my mom says. I don't figure a thing out.

On Saturday, my mom picks up her test results from the doctor, and I get my check-up done. Mama's all-clear. I barely even worry about the results of my own. Later, I get a text from A.

Someone doesn't listen. I told you Mommy Dearest is hiding something. You might want to uncover her secret before I show her yours. Love Always, A.

My stomach churns, and I decide to go snooping. After all, how bad could it be? When my mom goes to work, I sneak into her room and begin looking through her stuff. Her closet, her dresser, her file cabinet. And then I find it. An old, worn diary. I open it to the first page.

_Today, I decided to star writing a diary. Just to keep track of all my thoughts and theories aout who A is, and I –_ Wait did I just read that right? _A_? You can't mean to tell me that this same A, was haunting my mother as well?

_I think it might be Jenna Cavanaugh. But I don't know. She hates us, though, for what we did to her. For the record, it was never our intention for her to go blind. I'm not sure though, she seems like a pretty up-front person. Not the type to hide behind creepy initials._

I turn the page.

_Today I discovered my boyfriend, Toby, is A. One of them, anyways. And to make matters worse, today is our anniversary. And I'm pregnant. I was planning on telling him today, but he's skipped town. I'm not ready for a baby. Definitely not ready to raise one alone. But at least Hanna, Aria, and Emily will be there for me. They always have been. _

That's when I decide to stop reading for now. My stomach is turning and I'm confused Does this mean that my mother and her friends _blinded_ Jenna Cavanaugh, Cassie's mother? I mean, I knew she used to be blind, but this... And you mean to tell me that my mom's _boyfriend _was A? And that there are multiple As? I'm beginning to feel hopeless.

The next week is spent getting teasing messages from A, which I don't really care about, talking absentmindedly to Marissa, Chrissy, and Sylvia about my mother, and doing schoolwork. It goes by slowly. I just want the weekend to come so I can sit in bed and mull over all of this information. I try to picture this Toby. My father. Old A. All I see is a vague, man-shaped shadow. I begin to hate the shadow. How could he abandon my mother? Me? Did he ever find out, about me? Did he ever realize what he was losing? Doubtful.

On Saturday, I get the test results from the doctor in the mail. I don't think much of them until I open the envelope to find horrifying words. Words that will change my life. Forever.

**A/N Ohhh what do you think the results said? Remember to hug a hobo and review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I don't own Pretty Little Liars, sadly. We all know the world would be a better place if I did. Plus you should know before I start this that I won't be putting the P.O.V's in any specific order.**

Chapter Six: Marissa Fitz's P.O.V.

The next couple of weeks after that day were spent with my mom trying to make it up to me and Matt. When my father found out, he tried to explain it to us, too. It was nice to be reminded that he actually does care about us. I noticed Raina looked kind of out of it, but that was mostly due to what she found out about her mom. We were all really shocked about it, and I was just thinking _What a screwed up world we live in._ Like, really? Her dad ran out on her mom? What kind of scumbag...?

But anyways, I think I'm developing paranoia. Like, the kind where you're paranoid all the time. But homie don't play that. I'm beginning to suspect everyone as being A. The thought if it being my father or mom has even run through my mind, more than once.

And now it's Monday again. Nice. I take a shower and throw on skinny jeans and a Mario shirt, then I put on my Dry Bones snapback, spray some bodymist on myself, grab my shades and I'm out the door. On the way to school, I get a text. From A, nonetheless.

Feeling stressed? You will when you see what's in store for you this morning, 'homie'. –A

I just shake my head and try to put it in the back of my mind. When I get to school, as I'm walking through the halls, I notice some random man who I've never seen before, but then I hear his name. "Yes, you'll be talking to these classes, Malcolm." _Malcolm?_ Isn't that what my mom said his name is? I take minute to look at him. He kind of looks like my father, that same facial look that my father and Uncle Wes share. Oh snap, that's what A must've been talking about! And with my luck, he's probably going to be in one of my classes at some point. Nice.

When I get to my first period class, I notice Raina sitting at her desk, looking kind of sad. I sit in my desk, next to hers. "What's wrong?" I ask. "I'm just really, really bummed," she says. "Why?" I ask. "I'm not ready to talk about it yet," she says, so I drop the subject.

** Raina Hastings's P.O.V**

When Marissa asks what's wrong, I nearly lose my sanity right there. I nearly just go off on a full-blown rant. But I don't. I don't tell her about the test results, which, by the way stated that I now have cancer. That it's pretty bad and I'm lucky they caught it before it got any worse.

Lucky. Me.

A song comes to mind while I think about this. It's called Clouds, by Zach Sobiech. I guess that kid has cancer too. And he's only got months to live.

_We'll fly up, up, up, but I'll fly a little higher._

_Go up to the clouds because the view's a little nicer._

_Up here, my dear, it won't be long now._

_It won't be long now._

That's the chorus.

_And when we hit the land, oh I'll never get my chance._

_Be ready to live and it'll be ripped right out of my hands. _

I remember this line and it breaks my heart. I wonder if it'll happen to me, too. I haven't told anyone yet. Not my mama. Not Maddy, or Marissa, or Chrissy, or Sylvia, or any of my aunts or anyone else. I dont even know how to bring up the subject. _Oh, hey, lovely weather we're having, huh? And by the way, I have cancer. Good chance of me dying._

I get a text from A. Just when I'm thinking it can't get any worse, A shows up.

Sucks to be you. Lucky you, though, I have a heart. Something like that, anyways. If it makes you feel any better, have you ever heard the saying "A hastings never loses"? I'm pretty sure you're mother was the very definition of that. Then again, she never had cancer. Love Always –A

I guess that makes me feel somewhat better. Not by much, though. I'm beginning to wonder whose side A is really on. If A is really in our corner. It's possible.

**A/N Sorry I know this chapter is short but I had to write it. I don't own the song Clouds by Zach Sobiech. Please listen to it, though, it's really inspiring. Anyway, remember to help your local Neighborhood Slenderman by reviewing!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Sorry about just dropping the cancer bomb and ending the chapter right there, but I couldn't help it. And i'm sorry the chapters are really short. Like, I'm really ****_really _****sorry.**

Chapter 7 Christina Rivers's P.O.V.

Something's wrong with Raina. But she hasn't told us what it is yet. It seems weird to see her so shaken, she's usually the strong one, you know? And at first I thought it was just what she found out about Aunt Spencer that's messing with her, but I'm doubting it. I just hope she tells us soon, because it's really sad seeing her look so... messed. She's got circles under her crystal-blue eyes, and her chocolate hair is always just thrown up into a messy bun. She's really been bumming it lately. And I wouldn't think much of it, I mean, everyone has a bum day every now and then, sweatpants are great, but this is _Raina Hastings_ we're talking about, Calm, cool, and collected. I'm really worried about her. Not to mention we just found out Aunt Spencer, Aunt Emily, Aunt Aria, and my mother _blinded _ Jenna Cavanaugh, who's daughter I'm friends with.

Messed up stuff.

But anyways, Raina's falling into a downward spiral. Marissa took us to a party yesterday, and Raina didn't even want to come! That's just out of character.

It's been three weeks since this started, and I'm getting sick of these shenanigans. Texts from A, depressed-looking Raina, paranoia setting in. So I'm spending the night at Raina's house tonight. When I told her, she just offered a non-comittal "whatever." Thanks for that, Raina. How encouraging.

After school, I anxiously ring Raina's doorbell with my duffelbag slung over my shoulder. Aunt Spencer answers the door with a smile. "Hi, Chrissy," she says, hugging me. "Hi, Aunt Spencer," I squeak out. She chuckles as I dash up the stairs. I softly open Raina's door and walk in. She's sitting cross-legged on her bed, staring into space. Her eyes flicker up to meet mine, just for a second before they flick back to the wall. I throw my bag in the corner and sit next her. "Hey, what's bothering you?" I say softly. "Nothing," she lies through her teeth. Well then. "Don't even lie to me or I'll call Marissa and if she comes up here you can guarantee the whole neighborhood will know what's up," I say, getting her to crack a smile. Marissa is _really _loud sometimes. "Come on, Hastings, what's up?" I say. "Nothing much," she says. Gosh darn these liars...

"I am getting tired of these shenanigans, Raina. We both know something's wrong," I say. She stubbornly shakes her head. I guess it's true, you can't argue with a Hastings. I just sigh. "Fine, but we're going out, whether you like it or not," I say. She nods. I roll my eyes and get ready, brushing out my hair, putting on body spray and foundation. Raina just throws on jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. "Oh no no no," I say. She raises her eyebrows. "Sit, I'm fixing your hair," I say. She just plops down on her bed. I spray her hair with a water bottle and put mousse in it. Then I pick out her high-top Converse shoes. Now we're ready. "Let me call Marissa," I say. "What if Marissa doesn't want to go out? This is pretty short-notice," replies Raina. I roll my eyes. "Marissa _always _wants to go out."

I pull out my iPhone and scroll through my contacts until I find Marissa. I call her, deciding I don't feel like waiting the time it takes for texts to go through.

"_Hello?_" says Marissa.

"Hey, it's Chrissy. I'm at Raina's house, and we want to go out. So, do you have somewhere in mind?"

I could practically feel Marissa grin as she replied "Of course. I'll pick up Sylvia then I'll pick you two up." I smiled. Raina raised her eyebrows. "Where are we going?" she asked. "Don't know, don't care, and Marissa wouldn't tell me even if I did," I reply. Just then my phone vibrates, letting me know I have a text message.

Christina, are you really sure you should be taking a sickly person out partying? We all have our secrets, Raina included. Either find out what's been dragging her down, or I'll make sure everyone knows about your little 'crush' on the girl next door. –A

I crease my eyebrows. Sickly? And I may have a tiny, little, itty bitty crush on Cassandra. But it's nothing. In fact, I haven't even told anyone, so the fact that A knows about this is creeping me out. But what did A mean by sickly? Does Raina have the flu or something? Because I'm pretty sure she'd tell me she was too sick to go out if she really was. "Raina?" I begin tentatively.

"Yeah?" she replies.

"Are you... sick?" I say. She looks up sharply and meets my eyes.

"No, why?" she answers.

"I was just wondering," I cover. But I'm not done investigating this yet. Though for now, I'll put it off and have a good time.

**A/N I don't want Christina to find out yet because it seems to soon, and Raina is a Hastings, so she'll hold on to her secrets. R&R J**


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